The Truth About Fidel

In a moving and beautifully written piece, the Pope's biographer, George Weigel points out a pernicious tendency among some, including those in the MSM, to treat Fidel Castro with a respect to which he is not entitled.

Exhibit A in making Weigel's case could well be this piece in Reuters, which talks about Castro's decision to "export doctors to treat poor people in the undeveloped world." (What a humanitarian). The reporter notes only that some Cubans don't like the policy because it's supposedly a change from the days when Cuba "boasted a family doctor on every block."

Now let's hear from Weigel, who actually visited Cuba, along with the Pope, in 1998:

I remember the barren shelves in the pharmacies, with not even an aspirin to be had, despite the propaganda about Cuban healthcare. I remember the teenage waiters and waitresses at my hotel, who told me that 75% of their wages went to the government. I remember talking to the prostitute — a well-spoken medical doctor who, when I asked why she was selling herself, told me that it was the only way to support her children.

Yes, Cuba was a real medical nirvana. If Fidel cares so much about the welfare of his people, why does he lock political prisoners up in conditions that are, as Weigel put it, "vile and grotesque" conditions? And why are the leftists, overflowing with concern for the terrorists being held at Guantanamo, so indifferent to the plight of these prisoners, who have done nothing wrong?